Spore Evolution

[TM-Magic]

I've been working on a fairly complex spore recreation (But done differently) and have run into a lot of snags and some harder to fix bugs. So in effort to keep this project going, I'm looking for an experienced mapper that can help me co-create this thing. I already know exactly how I want it to be done, but I need a lot of help.




The camera angles are unique and follow you around, sometimes at a lower 3rd person view. At each stage, what you pick and evolve with stays with you throughout the game.


Basically, it starts really easy, as a cell. The only thing you need to do is eat food and/or kill enemies (which have their own AI, so you will be competing for your food, but no worries, they start easy). As you level, you randomly gain a stat point (dmg, attack speed, movement speed, hp and mystic power) and you choose to upgrade towards carnivore, herbivore or both (omnivore). At level 5 you can choose to evolve into the next phase or stay and gain more stats until level 10.

The next phase is the Ocean phase (I really wanted to make ocean terrain so I added it in). Here you get +8 stats per level and one random stat. Again, you find algae or meat depending on what you picked in phase 1. Again, you evolve at level 5 or you can wait until later. The AI is a little better here and they evolve just like you do. Don't try and take on the higher levels or you will lose one of ten lives you get.

After the ocean phase, you receive a bonus in whatever stat you picked most and move onto land. Here you get nest mates that can aid you in battle. Similar to the first two stages, you can level up just by eating, but if you want faster experience you have to take on enemy nests. Every level you gain, you can pick a passive ability to add to your creature.

And that's how far I am now. I am also working on a random terrain generator for the Land area that includes hills, impassible mountains, spires, valleys, volcanoes, mountain ranges, continents and islands, as well as random weather effects including thunderstorm, rain, wind, tornado, and calm, along with lighter and darker nights.

So I plan to make this project a grand one, however, I need some help. If someone's willing to put a lot of time and effort into a grand project. PLEASE contact me. I need experienced mappers who can use GUI to it's fullest and if you know jass, that's always a plus.

 

[MoCo]

I really like the idea of the ocean.
What about making it an ocean-only evolution map?

I disliked the fact about spore, that you have to go on land.. would be cool to stay in the ocean and become a shark or just a giant hunting fish something..

If you really are serious in finishing this map, you probably have to start with the ocean part. So if the ocean part kicks ass and is cool, the land part could be added later..


Anyway, I'd offer help with jass stuff and general help.

 

[TM-Magic]

Yeh, I know, would be cool to do a map like ur Bugs map except underwater, and it would be fun and all, but I want to create something greater than just a minigame. When spore came out I always thought it would be cool to have an option to stay underwater and create an underwater civilization. Of course, when the real spore came out, it was somewhat of a downer and the gameplay was lacking in a lot of areas.

The cell phase and ocean phase are both finished...for the most part. I already started and I've run into a lot of problems on the land phase. Actually, I started messing around with the camera for phase 2 and 3, so that it rotates at a lower view. It makes it look really cool but I think there's some heafty memory leaks going on because it gets laggier and laggier as the game goes on, so I may end up scrapping that.

One of the main problems I'm having in the land phase is picking/leveling up abilities. Right now I have 8 passive abilities you can upgrade when you level up. Unfortunately, a unit has a max of 5 hero abilities so I added a spellbook ability that's given to the unit when it levels up with 8 different stomp spells. When clicked, it removes the spellbook ability and adds +1 to that spell. Thing of it is, sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. When you first click it, it doesn't add anything and doesn't get removed. The second time you click it it adds it and sometimes gets removed, allowing it to be clicked several times in a row...

I'm using 8 different stomp spells, otherwise, if I use one and copy and paste it, it still acts like the same spell when you use triggers with it. What I mean is, if I use the warstomp ability, set all of its values to 0 and change the description and buff and copy it and change the name, description and buff, then click the first ability in the game, the first goes off, if I click the second, the first still goes off. So I've had to use 8 different spells so that they trigger differently. Do you have any ideas to fix this????

Then I also have some AI bugs to sort through. Idk, I suppose what I"m really looking for is someone to help me finish this to the end and do like 50% of the work.

 

[Pyritie]

I'd be interested to see any screenshots you might have.

 

[MoCo]

I guess you will need good ai and ability systems to get it working the way you want without any bugs.

The camera shouldn'b be a problem at all. I guess you want a 3rd-person-over-shoulder like cam?

I'm just wondering about the ability-leveling stuff.. If you want, you may send me the map and I'll take a look.

 

[TM-Magic]

Yeh, its odd, I had the camera operating smoothly, working perfectly. I would run around the map admiring how cool it looked, but now it lags for whatever reasons, even just after a minute or two. Actually, while I was just taking those screenshots, it stopped lagging again...very odd.

 

[ChronosX]

any update on the game?......i wanna play it smoothly with no lag

 

[TM-Magic]

This is not meant to be played.

 

[chaoslord301]

It sounds to me like your abilities use the same Order ID, so they both go off. But I may be wrong on that.

 

[TM-Magic]

It sounds like it would be, idk I changed the order string, idk if its different and if it is, I don't know how to change the ID with WE.

 

[chaoslord301]

Are you using JassNewGenPack?

Also my bad, I meant Object ID.

 

[TM-Magic]

This project is put on hold and may be discontinued. If anyones interested in finishing it for me and taking like 75% of the credit, contact me. And if you have any ideas on how to do the next few stages, I can help out.

Please, highly experienced mappers only.

 

[chaoslord301]

I actually I go back to Order ID, all I know is that you can't have two abilities based off the same ability on a hero at one time. Maybe you could find abilities based of different ones to go into the spellbook.

Maybe for the spell book you could use spells based off War Stomp, Thunderclap, Roar, Howl of Terror, Fan of Knives, Divine Protection, Avatar, and Mirror Image? Not sure if they would all work or not.

 

[TM-Magic]

Yeh I already did that, it sucked it do. I was just hopping there was an easier way. The problem I'm having is that I click the "learn" ability and the spellbook sometimes doesn't go away and sometimes it won't give the ability. So either u'll end up being able to click it several times before it disappears or it'll disappear without giving it to you.

Either way I'm not working on it anymore :/ For some reason it lags really bad now too and I'm working on an easier project. Maybe someday I'll come back to it or if someone else picks it up >>

 

[chaoslord301]

Well if you send me the map, and I have free time, I may be able to sift through the triggers to see if I can find anything, assuming that it's mostly in GUI that is. I would hate seeing this end up being trashed.

 

[TM-Magic]

I uploaded it so you can download it. There's also a lag that builds up as the game progresses...I'm not sure why, the only thing I can remember changing is the constantly changing camera angle, which I reset back to normal view anyways. So I'm not sure why it lags like that now. The idea was to have a lower view that rotated with the units. It worked, but then all of audden it started lagging real bad. Hmmm. Well if u help me fix this up and get me back on track, I'll consider picking it up again.

I have big plans for trible, civiliation and space phases.

 

[chaoslord301]

Did you protect the version you uploaded, I can't open it. It says something like "unable to open the main map file."

 

[TM-Magic]

I didn't...seems kinda strange. Are you using WE?

 

[chaoslord301]

Yea.

 

[davisSS3david]

I realy like this map. Especialy the ocean phase. For me there was only lag then I killed all creatures at the nest for about 2 sec's and then gone.

Anyway about the evolution... how does it work? I get the whole carnivore, herbivore, omnivore thing. But for example if I want to evolve in to the Sea Turtle? Is there anyway way to evolve in to the creature you would like to? Or do you just evolve randomly?

 

[TheBlooddancer]

The first terrains is really nice, but in 'turtle' stage, its pretty dull. Please give me a Visitor message, if you update it, i would like to see the progress of this game.

 

[TM-Magic]

If you'd read the description carefully, it says the terrain is intended to be randomly generated every game. This feature isn't implemented.

And for now, evolving into a specific unit is random and doesn't have any weight in the game. You gain no advantages being a sea turtle than say a lobster. Fish for example can swim over a few extra doodads the sea floor units can't, but they are also start with a slightly weaker base.

This map has been put on an indefinite hold and won't resume progress until I get outside help.



Chaoslord, is there a time we can meet on b.net or can you give me your email so I can mail it to you?

 

[TheBlooddancer]

What i meant was, that the level, that in your screenshots, is the turtle-level, looks rather dull. In Spore, there is allways lots of trees, mountains, or creeps. You shoul use more Raise/lower tools on that level.
Idc, if its by triggers, or manually, but it needs more Raising/Lowering.

 

[davisSS3david]

If you'd read the description carefully, it says the terrain is intended to be randomly generated every game. This feature isn't implemented.

And for now, evolving into a specific unit is random and doesn't have any weight in the game. You gain no advantages being a sea turtle than say a lobster. Fish for example can swim over a few extra doodads the sea floor units can't, but they are also start with a slightly weaker base.

This map has been put on an indefinite hold and won't resume progress until I get outside help.



Chaoslord, is there a time we can meet on b.net or can you give me your email so I can mail it to you?

Thanks for clearing things out. Anyway if its not a secret what will be phase 4?(if you will continue it) More land with more creatures perhaps? Some air creatures would be nice.

 

[TM-Magic]

Blood.....my point is its not implemented yet...why do you expect this to be perfect its not even in alpha testing stages yet. Second, the game isn't even being worked on anymore. Please, if your going to take up my space to write here, READ WHAT I WROTE FIRST! If your talking just about the screen shots, I'm not one to be fake. Screenshots are of what it looks like in the game NOW, not what its suppose to look like.

And david, the map is not scheduled to be continued unless someone works on it with me, in which case I may end up leveling with them and working with their ideas as well.

Ideally, I want phase 4 to give you a new option to build buildings. The first of which is the town center. You will need to collect food and bring it back to the center with the help of your nest mates who are now under your control. From there you can build huts, some kind of tech center, toolsmiths, graineries, shaman huts. You'll be able to research different technologies and equip your units with spears, axes, shields, plate armor, fishing rods, hammers, and staffs. (These things will require you to gather wood)

The Mysic powers you had the option to choose earlier will influence your shaman abilities...deciding which you can and can't have by how much mana you have.

Society no longer progresses with the evolve button...instead you just tech up through the ages...

For example, weaponry will start with knife tech and advanse to spear thenn bow then sword then crossbow, early guns, later guns ect ect. More modern/sophisticated comes into play after that.

Samething happens with armor and other technologies. You would see technology pass our own and eventually reach the stars. You would require different resources for different technologies, some will be harder/easier to find depending on the random terrain generated...And you will be able to "overgraze" your resources...impending doom to you and your neighbors.

Tribal and civ stages are more or less combined into one constantly changing phase. Once a player reaches stage, he can no longer go down to a planet and instead goes to a 4th area on the map where you see planets and nebulas and blackholes and such. Here you'll be able to click on your own planet and upgrade certain things or build certain units. (it becomes a unit you click with pages of stuff you can build). Once you get your tech high enough you can build faster space vehicles and find other people or computer players.

You will need a lot of resources and you may need to find planets abundant with a certain resource. This planet may require terraform or may already have a growing civilization on it (computer owned). Resources will be able to be traded or raided from computer players or human players.

Some players may still be int he land area for a little while, but you can't attack them until they're in space. You can raid them tho or provide resources for them.

Each player gets a set amount of lives...the object is to eliminate your opponents and conquer the galaxy or destroy the evil grox which will have a difficulty setting set aside just for them.




So yeh this was the bigger picture. However, idk if this'll ever get done now. I am working on another project.